Refurbish old phones and reduce e-waste with this new app

You can give your old phones a new life with InstaCash, a service that buys old phones and refurbishes them before selling the phones here or overseas.

InstaCash, which was first developed by a recommerce company in India, is available here through a local partner – Petaling Jaya-based CompAsia Sdn Bhd.

The service is offered via the InstaCash app which when installed on an old phone, will assess the condition of the device by running diagnostics tests.

It will do a pixel check, for instance, to assess the condition of the screen, and will also ask the user about the physical condition of the phone. Once the tests are completed, the app will offer a price for the old phone – if the user accepts, the company claims a courier will be assigned to pick up the phone within 24 hours.

The courier will pay the user upon collection of the phone – however, the price may be lowered if the condition is not as described by the user.

Once CompAsia gets the phone it claims it will wipe the data on the phone to ensure that it no longer contains any personal data. It will then be tested for hardware and software defects, and undergo a restoration process before being sold locally or overseas.

The company’s goal is to ensure the device goes to another interested buyer for a reasonable price. It is CompAsia’s job to find a new home for the smartphones, says Henry Ng in a statement, adding that customers who cannot afford brand new devices at the original prices will appreciate this service.

“We provide our customers across the region a more affordable option,” he says.

The company also says that this will also reduce e-waste. InstaCash is available for download on Google Play and Apple App Store.